I love running in Macclesfield Forest - if you go to the main car park theres a food van there called Nice Nosh and the man who runs it sells a pamphlet of walks from about 5k to about 13k which I use as running routes. The views are amazing, the terrain varied and the hills hilly! Enjoy!

When I went to see my GP with a groin strain / potential stress fracture (following a trip to A&E a few days earlier) she confirmed that it definately was not a stress fracture, suggested I saw a physio and gave me pain killers. I went to see the physio (privately as am lucky enough to have health insurance from work) but when I finally did she couldn't believe that i hadn't been sent for xrays. She referred me for X-rays and an MRI and I eventually had the stress fracture pinned.

The consultant who pinned it was horrified that I had been walking about on a fracture which went right across the femoral neck without crutches for weeks.

This was sorted because I have health insurance from work for which I am extremely grateful. I am a big supporter of the NHS and never wanted to rely on private healthcare but without it in this case the fracture would have gone undiagnosed and in the interim it would have been quite likely to displaced which I understand is very serious.

It is so frustrating - and very boring being sensible! But its the only way it seems I'm frustrated at the moment as long periods of sitting at my desk seem to set me back and I'm hobbling again.

Bec - are you seeing a physio? They might be able to reccomend some exercises which would strengthen the muscles and support the problem area - mine said that muscle starts wasting away pretty quickly and then everything else overcompensates.

Also my surgeon says he has started to think that stress fractures are linked to Osteoporosis and you can get referred for a bone density scan through your GP - it might be worth checking out (although scary) as if you fid out early you can take action to prevent degeneration. i haven't been able to go yet (as am pregnant and it involves radiation) but am def going to go. It would be pretty scary to be diagnosed with even early signs (am only 34!) but my mum and nan have it so not totally unexepcted. Mum has been taken tablets and doing special exercises and her bone density has improved which in late 50s is pretty impressive. Might be worth thinking about getting checked out.

My surgeon said that he hoped it had made me reconsider distance running - it hasn't! I still want to complete the VLM some day Sometimes they need to remember that some of us enjoy runnign so much the ups are worth the occasional downs.